Crutch seat



H. D. COLEMAN CHUTCH SEAT July 31, 1923' I 1,463,675

Filed Sent. 22. 1922 HTUNITED'ISTA Patented July 31, 1923.

TES PATEN oF ic HAMILTON DUDLEY COLEMAN, OFNEAB IBILOXI, MISSTSSIPPI. v

cannon: SEAT.

Application filed September 22, 1922. Serial n tsasee.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HAMILTON DUDLEY COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing near Biloxi, in the'cou'nty of Harrison and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crutch Seats, of which the following is a specification. s I

The present invention relates toimprovements in crutch seats in whichprovision is made directly upon the crutch itself for seatingthe user to the end that rest may be obtained at intervals on long walks.

An object of the invention is to provide a collapsible seat upon a crutch which will comprise few and simple parts, at the same time alfording a sturdy support, the devicebeing constructed for attachment to the standard crutch without requiring any alteration therein.

Vith the foregoing and other objectsin view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto. I

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like, or correspondingparts through-' Figure 5 is a;fragmentary side view of the crutch with the attaching device shown thereon.

Figure 6 is a similar view showing a modi- I band 7 and. is thence carried directly upfied form of attachment, and I p Figure 7 is a fragmentary edge view of the same. i y

Referring more particularly to the drawings 1 designates a standard construction of crutch in which 2 represents the hand-hold. Upon this crutch I provide the seat 3 which may be the saddle form of seat shown or other suitable design. The seat is hinged to the crutch so that it may be'folded "fiat thereagainst when "not in use and whenthe fcrutch is being employed in walking. 'A' brace 4; is provided in conjunction with the seat 3 to hold" the same intheraised position shown in Figures 1 and 2 and to avoid the likelihood of the casual collapse of the seat 3. I therefore provide a pivoted book 5 upon the free end of the brace 4: designed to take into the eye 6 depending from the outer end of the seat. Both brace and seat form a unlt and are carried by'an attaching. device which is formed appropriately to co} operate with portion of the crutch structure.

This attaching device may consistof two 6 bands 7 and 8 of metal or other suitablematerial bent about the. crutch parts and spaced, below the hand-hold? in order to carry the seat 8 at asuitable elevation for occupancy when the crutch rests upon 0 the ground. The upper band? embraces the crutch several inches below the handhold' 2 and the adjacent portion 'of the sea-t3 is carried by this band 7 by means; of

the hinge 9 which is fastened to th'e'base ofthe seat as by' the use of screws 10 and extends pivotally I about the band. The lower band 8 pivotally receivesthe bracecor stay 4 so that whenthe hook, 5 is'unlatched' the brace and seat may be both folded down fiat against the side of the crutch where they willnot be in the "way during'walking' and will'not be apt to strike obstacles;

The two' bands 7" and 8 are preferably reinforcedfand held inthe positions shown by the use of some such device asby the wire shown. This wire .m'ay consist of a single strand havin gits ends secured, in the turn buckle 11. After passing upwardly:

from the turn buckle the wire is wound in one or more convolutions 12 about the upper wards parallel with the adjoining member of the crutch until p, the hand-hold 2 -is reached, The wire turned over the hand 5 p neath the bottom band 8 and wound into .9

one or more helices 14 about one member of the band before being carried upwardly to join the lower end of the turn buckle.

ln a similar way the opposite side of the crutch is provided with a turn buckle 15 connecting with the ends 16 and 17 of a wire which is wound about the upperand lower bands respectively as indicated at 18 and lies between the two members of the crutch' 1. This extension guides the swinging movement of the seat and also avoids any lateral play in the seat and avoids it sliding off the brace 4 in either direction.

Now as shown in Figures 6 and 7,, it is not necessary tohave the bands 7 and 8 but the hollow cylinders 22 and 23 may equally well suflice to hold the seat 3 and the brace .4. These hollow cylinders, which may be of wood or other suitable material are carried between the members of the crutch 1 as by the use of the bolts 24 and 25. Or in other words they may be held to the crutch in the same way as the hand-hold 2, except that they are free to rotate and provide the hinging movement necessary for the seat and brace. The crutch need only be bored at the sides in order to receive the bolts 24 and 25. The seat 3 is hinged to the upper cylinder 22 by similar hinge 9 while the brace 4 may be provided with a metallic or other strap 26 extending about the lower cylinder 23. i

In the use of the device, the crutch carrying the seat is intended to be placed against a wall or other support on an inclination with the foot of the crutch lying some six inches from the base of the wall. The seat 3 is lifted to a substantially horizontal position and the brace 4 brought therebeneath and hooked in place by the use of the parts 5 and 6. 'It will be seen in Fig ure 2 that the seat 3 assumes an inclined position but when the crutch is tilted'in themanner just described, this will enable the seat to arrive at approximately a horizontal position. WVhen the parts are so set up, the seat is ready for occupancy and an atten dant may hold the upper end of the crutch or it may be secured in any desired manner. It will be found that the seat and the attaching structure will be adequate for all weights imposed upon it and the patient may thus combine restful periods with needed exercise.

i/Vhen the walk is to be resumed, the hook 5 is detached and the weight of the parts will cause the seat and brace to drop down to a collapsed position where they rest against the crutch. If desired suitable means could be provided to hold the parts against vibration during walking. .It will be understood that the seat and brace are on the outer side of the crutch during its use, in walking and that the wires are on the extreme ends of the hand-hold so that no part of the device interferes inthe least with the normal use of the crutch.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that 1' have provided an extremely simple and inexpensive attachment for crutches of, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims: 3

What is claimed is:

1. A crutch, having spaced bands carried thereby, means whereby said bands are held against creeping on the crutch, a seat pivoted,

to the upper band, a brace pivoted to the lower band, and means for interlocking the seat and brace, substantially as described.

2. A crutch, having a hand-hold, a seat, a brace, bands surrounding the crutch and hinged to the seat and the brace respective ly, and wires interlaced with said bands andwith the hand-hold of the crutch, sub stantially as described.

3. The combination with acrutch having two substantially vertical members spaced apart throughout their upper portions, and terminating at their lower ends in a single stem, of a hand-hold secured between said members, a seat hinged to said crutch and having a rear reduced portion engaging between said vertical members below said hand-hold and serving as a guide for said seat against lateral motion when said seat is in the raised position, and a brace pivoted at itslower end between said vertical members and having its upper end engaging be-.

neath the free end of said seat, said brace serving as a supporting leg to maintain said. seat in the raised position and to support the weight of the user when seated.

4. The combination with a crutch, having two substantially vertical members spaced apart throughout their upper portions, and terminating at their lower ends in a single stem, of a hand-hold secured between said members,- a seat hinged to said crutch and having a rear reduced portion engaging belie fat

tween said vertical members below said hand-hold and serving as a guide for said seat against lateral motion when said seat is in the raised position, and a brace plvoted 5 at its lower end between said vertical members and having its upper end engaging beneath the free end of said seat, said brace serving as a supporting leg to maintain said seat in the raised position and tosupport the weight of the user when seated, with 10 means for securing the'free end of said brace to said seat when said seat is in the raised position. i

H. DUDLEY COLEMAN. 

